The Arkansas Municipal League’s planning and zoning expert said sometimes proposed zoning changes are just situations where reasonable people can and do differ about what should be done.

Jim von Tungeln told The Courier that when such conflicts arise, it is often challenging for everyone involved to come to a resolution about what to do.

Von Tungeln has done extensive work in the Russellville area over the years and said he is familiar with the city. He serves cities all over the state through the Municipal League as an adviser on planning issues.

Zoning is in place to protect a city’s comprehensive plan and future land use policy, he said. That’s why zoning needs to be done consistently with that plan.

But, he added, that plan isn’t set in concrete and is meant to be flexible.

It is possible that situations change and then it is appropriate to veer away somewhat from the comprehensive plan, he said.

“What the city has to do is look at all the facts and decide what is the appropriate land use for this situation,” von Tungeln said. “They also need to weed out all the false arguments.”

Von Tungeln said he wasn’t familiar with the Walmart-Vancouver Avenue zoning issue and couldn’t talk specifics of that case. He did say that the city of Russellville has a good planning department.

However, he said that over the years, the zoning along West Main Street hasn’t often followed the comprehensive plan. He pointed to zoning changes that allowed a number of older homes along the street to be converted to businesses — like doctor offices — that don’t follow the plan.

Von Tungeln said that economic considerations are normally not a consideration when deciding zoning questions — that’s either pro or con.

“Years ago, economic development was an argument in such cases,” he explained. “But then in 1984-85, the state passed the local sales tax law and now that argument is generally no longer used.”

When asked, he also said that he has seldom seen property values in neighborhoods affected by a zoning change that allows a business to be built.

“I don’t know of any objective evidence that shows that,” he said. “What it comes down to is you just have to look at all the facts and make the best decision.”